By KT Reporter
There was Tension at the Masaka High Court on Friday afternoon following a court order for a vote recount in the fiercely contested Masaka City Woman Member of Parliament race.
The decision by Masaka Chief Magistrate Abert Asiimwe came after an application by Justine Nameere, the candidate of the National Resistance Movement (NRM), who is challenging the victory of Rose Nalubowa of the National Unity Platform (NUP).
According to the Electoral Commission, Nalubowa won the election with 25,443 votes, defeating Nameere, who polled 20,324. But Nameere contested the outcome, accusing the Returning Officer of deliberately refusing to tally results from polling stations where she claimed overwhelming support.
After hearing arguments from both sides, Asiimwe granted a recount of all ballot boxes to establish the exact number of votes secured by each candidate, a ruling that initially sparked celebration among NRM supporters gathered outside the courthouse.
However, what began as chants and victory songs soon descended into chaos when a group of rowdy youth, some dressed in yellow overalls associated with the ruling party, turned their attention to lawyers representing the NUP candidate.
Advocates Samuel Muyizzi and Herbert Zikusooka found themselves surrounded by an agitated crowd accusing them of attempting to frustrate the recount through “unwanted legal arguments.”
Shouting over one another, the youths threatened the lawyers and repeatedly disrupted their media interviews, forcing journalists to retreat as the situation grew increasingly volatile.
Within minutes, the court premises were thrown into disarray as waves of people surged through the compound, triggering brief moments of stampede that brought all activity to a halt. Anti-riot police were eventually deployed to restore order. They pushed the crowds out, sealed the court gates, and established control over the area.
Despite the intervention, security remained visibly heightened at the Electoral Commission offices, where both police and military personnel were heavily deployed amid fears that the political contest could ignite further unrest. The court had indicated that the recount would begin at 2:30 p.m.
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